Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label AIDS

Early treatment is effective against HIV

WASHINGTON: Early antiviral treatment after diagnosis of HIV infection significantly reduces the likelihood of getting AIDS or other serious illnesses, according to results from a large international clinical trial published on Wednesday. The study was presented a year earlier than planned after preliminary data showed that people who received treatment from diagnosis were 53 per cent less likely to die or develop a serious illness such as AIDS compared to a control group where treatment began later when the immune system is weakened. Researchers said this data combined with previous studies showing that antiviral drugs help prevent HIV transmission to healthy sexual partners indicate that such treatment is beneficial for everyone diagnosed with the virus. The study began in 2011 in 35 countries with 4,684 HIV-infected men and women over the age of 18. An estimated 35 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, while only 13 million people get treatment, according to the l